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Several studies have shown that digoxin can be safely withdrawn from patients who have no clear history of poor systolic function. A new study extends this observation to an elderly population.
Investigators identified 47 patients (mean age, 87) taking digoxin at two nursing homes. Echocardiography revealed that 35 of these patients had a left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) over 50 percent. Twelve of the 35 were in atrial fibrillation and were not studied further. Attending physicians agreed to stop digoxin in 14 of the remaining 23 patients, all of whom were in normal sinus rhythm. Over a two-month follow-up period, none of the 14 patients had clinical symptoms from withdrawal of digoxin, and echocardiography showed no decline in LVEF…